Clothing Made from Milk and Bottles Made of Paper? The Eco Design Revolution

It's really pretty fantastic to be able to look around and actually see that you are part of a new era in design. Right now, we are riding high on a burst of creativity and inspiration that will eventually be listed alongside Art Deco, Modernism, and Bauhaus in history books. It's the Eco Design Revolution. And everything is just so experimental.

For example, a factory in Italy has brushed off the technology -- left over from its days as a Fascist country -- for making organic yarn from casein, a protein used to make cheese. Reportedly, this chemical-free stuff, marketed as Milkofil, has some "Blade Runner"-like perks: Thanks to natural lubricants in the protein, you can toss the skin cream. It actually keeps your skin soft and moisturized. Plus, super soft and anti-bacterial fibers stabilize body temperature.

Or how about that whole problem with plastic bottles? Design firm Brandimage has an idea, bottles made from paper. Billed as the first totally recyclable paper container made from 100 percent renewable resources, the 360 Paper Bottle just landed a 2008 International Design Excellence Award from Business Week and the Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA). This invention shows promise, maybe it could make a real dent in our landfills. Or even our streets, if all those plastic bottles people dump could just decompose.

What products do you think will change our future? Comment below!

More from TreeHugger on Design, Bottles, and Fabric
::Sneak Peek: New Straw + Wool Stool by Ryan Frank
::Stitch Chair Folds To Only 15mm Thick
::Sears Sells Bagir's Recycled PET Bottle Suit on Father's Day
::Kor One: Reinventing the Water Bottle
::Eco-Tip: Mini Directory of Green Fabrics

More From Mairi Beautyman on Huffington Post
::Six Tips to Green Your TV
::Five Products to Green Your Cat
::Terrorists or Heroes? Sea Shepherd Fights for Marine Life
::Does Terrorism Make us Travel Greener?
::Four Organic Ways to Kill Ants
::Two Uncomplicated Reasons to Choose Organic Eggs and Milk
::Do you Really Need a Dryer?

Photos from top: Via The International Herald Tribune; via Brandimage.

Comments

[cylindar]

It seems there will be a lot more product offerings in the green sector. Some will work and some will not be sustainable. The good news is that at least mfg's are moving in that direction.

[DRaymond]

Sometimes I wonder about some green 'inventions'. Fabric made from cotton or flax or hemp has been around for a LONG time. What is greener about milk? And paper bottles? I have been buying milk and juice and stuff in paper cartons for as long as i can remember.

[KillTheMessenger]

Can I see an analysis of how many resources (energy, fertilizer) went into the production of the casein needed for a sweater? May we bet it's probably five to ten times as much as is needed for an equivalent sweater made from fiber made from oil or plain old cotton?

[Dan1977]

has anyone heard that our TVs and computers release chemicals into the air that we inhale and absorb into our bodies?

check out this site: www.rawair.net

[KillTheMessenger]

If you happen to work in the electronics industry you know that since approx. 1955. However, the problem has gotten actually better, not worse.